And River Valley Events!

Monthly Archives: March 2012

Wow! Things have been so hectic at The Loft lately, I haven’t touched this blog in ages.

I’m starting back up, but don’t expect daily posts anymore. Or at least until the busy season starts to slow down!

You can expect for the honeymoon destination to continue every week as usual, though.

What do you want to see? Let me know what trends or decor ideas/projects you want to see on here, and I’ll do it! I love to hear ideas from the minds of others, there is always stuff I never would have thought of doing myself.

What’s been your favorite post/posts so far?

Brooke

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This location is snuggled away in Gerty, Oklahoma. This place is sure to keep your bank account happy with no expense on destination or options. With several packages to choose from you will be sure to get everything you ever wanted from your getaway! This is the perfect place for a local honeymoon or a girls/guys weekend out.

Who wouldn’t want to sit here with a glass of wine and your sweetheart, over looking the vineyard at sunset?

This is one of their cozy rooms. You can request a bouquet of flowers and bottle of wine in your room!

Their lovely porch for meals all set for the guests.

This room is just so cozy, you want to sink into the picture…

Their tasting room, where you can try out their wines and meet other people staying there. Cool!

And the vineyard… I can just see the romantic strolls through the aromatic rows of vines!

What makes them unique!

5 Course Dinners

Large Country Breakfasts

Wine Tasting

4 acre Vineyard

Wildlife Refuge

Hot Tub

Swimming Pool

Massage Therapist

The owners are so friendly, and we’ve found wonderful reviews. This is an unusual destination being hid away and so romantic. Go for a weekend and tell us how much you love it!

You MUST check out their 360 degree viewer of their grounds and rooms. It’s like you’re really there, it’s pretty neat!

Whether you may be throwing a party for a specific reason like a housewarming, or just as a get-together for your friends, you no doubt want it to be original. To do that though, you must have a starting point of your overall feel of the gathering. I’ll be showing you how to throw a sophisticated, modern, and chic cocktail party that is comfortable and fun. A description that doesn’t generally go with those descriptive terms! This is a trend that is easily adaptable to any sort of event, may it be a wedding, housewarming, shower, or just a party for the fun of it.

First off, you need something to make your cocktail party unique. You may choose to be the mixologist for the evening, or have a talented friend do the job if you don’t hire a professional cocktail caterer. Once you make that decision and get your bar arranged for, choose your signature drink. It will be the one you have out and the mixologist will ask” would you like a ~signature drink name here~ or to place an order?” This drink will set the tone. For my example cocktail party the signature drink will be a Peach Whiskey Smash, a fitting drink to pull together this cocktail party.

Set out a spot of sweet and unsweet tea in pitchers with a glass of mint sprigs for ones interested in a non-alcoholic beverage. I suggest checking out buying actual mint plants versus sprigs in the grocery aisle. It’s quite generally considerably cheaper, if you don’t already have one in your yard to supply it. Just cut the stems and wash the leaves gently before using. You don’t want potting soil in your drinks!

Arrange vases of peach colored flowers about (tulips are lovely) with sprigs of mint as the greenery to release a pleasant aroma to set the mood for your cocktail party.

You can continue on with the theme past this to have bite-sized peach cobblers (it’s trendy to take comfort foods and put a modern spin on them), eggplant and mint dip, cucumbers with yogurt mint dressing, even make finger cucumber sandwiches with pickled peaches! A recipe for pickled peaches: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/nanas-southern-pickled-peaches/detail.aspx

A cocktail party is a great way to assert your individuality and have a laid back party with your friends. I hope you enjoyed this post. Have you thrown a cocktail party before? What did you do for it? Our other readers would love to hear about it!

Brooke

Things to do in your life together #28

Go to a murder mystery restaurant. Not one near you? You can get a kit to have a murder mystery party at home.

Family reunions are one of the most fun parties to be a part of. With all the different activities and all the generations in one place, it really is fun. If you’re planning on doing a family reunion soon, here is a specific family reunion to get you going on the planning of yours to take place during the lovely weather Spring promises.

This is The Classic Picnic-

This Eagle Spings, TX Park Pavillion is a typical one you’ll find.They’re perfectly suited for family reunions as they’ve got plenty of seating, shade, electic hook ups, bathrooms nearby, and generally a playground for the kids in addition to room for activities.

Then, string up some pretty lights, put up balloons to guide the familia in, and put on some music that’s fun. The little ones may want to dance, and cuties shaking their diapers is a subject everyone loves talking about, which is a nice ice breaker to use until everyone finished filtering in!

Below are some activies to consider. Some parks have the set up for some of these, some don’t. Have some fun with the ideas, and make up some of your own!

This family reunion plan was made to optimize time for planning, to have minimal prep and clean up, and to do it all on a modest budget. I hope your family reunion is fabulous and your whole family has a blast.

Don’t forget the extension cords and ice!

Brooke

Things to do in your life together #27

Go gem digging!

(If you live in the Arkansas/Oklahoma area, take a trip to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro, AR. Only park in the world where you can keep the dimaonds you found! No other gem would be more memorable as her new ring.)

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Have you ever thumbed through a bridal magazine and felt like you needed an on-site translator to decode some of the floral wordage you see? Those of us that work in the floral industry tend to forget that not everyone speaks our language.

If you’re not certain if a “corsage” is meant for a man or a woman, or exactly how to refer to those cute balls you’ve seen hanging from shepherd’s hooks, don’t despair — there are a million other brides wondering the same thing!

There are a number of terms used to describe various aspects of wedding floral design that are helpful to know during the consultation process, and while you can find wedding glossaries all over the internet, many focus on out-of-date or rarely used design styles which can often lead to confusion and information-overload. In order to combat this, I thought I’d provide a quick overview of some frequently used terms that are specific to floral design and common in our Oklahoma wedding industry. My hope is that this list will help you in your efforts to plan for your event’s needs, and ultimately, better communicate with your floral vendor.

Walking flowers: The flowers worn by those associated with the wedding party (i.e., bouquets, boutonnieres and corsages) Also referred to as bridal party flowers, personal flowers, wedding party flowers.

Bridal party: The individuals that are an integral part of the wedding ceremony. Depending on the location, religion, and style of the wedding, this group may include the bride, groom, maids of honor, bridesmaids, best men, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, and in Oklahoma, immediate family members. Also referred to as the wedding party.

Corsage: Flowers worn by the important women in a bridal party. Either pinned on the woman’s dress, or worn on her wrist (wristlet).

Boutonniere: Flower worn by men in a bridal party, pinned to the lapel.

Pomander: A compact ball of flowers, either hung by ribbon or positioned on top of an object. May be constructed in a variety of sizes. Often carried by flower girls or hung from hooks to enhance a wedding’s décor. Also referred to as a kissing ball.

Halo: Ring of flowers worn on the head.

Hand-tied bouquet: The process of arranging bouquet flowers by hand and securing the bouquet at the stems with ribbon, lace, twine, or a variety of other materials.

Cascade bouquet: The process of arranging blooms in a foam bouquet holder. This style typically has a variety of cascading greenery or flowers at the base of the bouquet.

Wrap: The material used to bind the stems of a hand-tied bouquet.

Clutch: Extra-small-sized, hand-tied bundle of flowers.

Focal piece: Large arrangement of flowers usually placed in a very prominent spot such as on a buffet table or at the front of a ceremony.

Pavé: A contemporary style of arranging flowers where the blooms of the flowers appear to be sitting atop the mouth of the vessel in a grid-fashion.

Monochromatic: Colors found in an arrangement are all (tints, tones and shades) of a single hue.

Monobotanical: An arrangement that contains only one variety of flowers.

Deconstructed: The practice of using the varieties of flowers found in the bridal bouquet to create a different monobotanical bouquet for each attendant.

Centerpiece: Floral arrangements placed on the eating tables to decorate a reception venue.

Toss bouquet: An alternate bouquet used during the tradition of “tossing the bouquet” to unmarried women. Allows the bride to preserve her wedding bouquet.

Chuppah: Also spelled, huppah. A canopy decorated with flowers that is part of the traditional Jewish ceremony.

Topiary: A miniature tree made from flowers and greenery.

Garland: A rope or strand of flowers and greenery used to adorn a variety of surfaces (i.e., pews, arches, staircases, etc.)

Wreath: Usually hung on doors, a wreath may be a variety of shapes and may be decorated with flowers or greenery.

Event Breakdown or Strike: Time appointed for a vendor to return to the venue at the close of the event to clean up and retrieve rental items used during the wedding.

Draping: The term used to describe the use of materials/linens/decorative fabric to decorate or dress a table, arbor, or other structure.

…Are there any florists reading who would like to add to this list in the comments section?

One thing many people don’t realize about Oklahoma is its breathtaking scenery. But us locals sure know it! This weeks destination will give a glimpse of what it has to offer for those of you that aren’t from around here. Upper Mountain Fork Getaway is near Smithville, Oklahoma. We’ve chosen this location as most of our Brides are currently planning fall weddings. I can’t imagine a better place to be when the leaves start to turn!

Just to the north of Upper Mountain Fork Getaway is the Talimena Scenic Drive. This magnificent stretch of mountain top highway offers views so incredible it has been named a National Scenic Byway; the only one in Oklahoma! The Talimena Scenic Drive makes for a fantastic day trip any time of year and is just a short drive north from this getaway.

Fall is an ideal time to visit these lovely little cabins! The view is truly breathtaking of the mountains.

A quaint kitchen to stay cozy in your cabin and never have to leave!

A peaceful balcony to watch the wildlife with a cup of coffee and your sweetie.

Below the cabins is the Broken Bow Lake for those fishermen out there. There is also a river running through the property that’s great for kayaking and canoeing for an adventurous day out.

Whether you take your street bike, bicycles, or just your car, there is a lot of exploring to do out there, and the Talimena drive is a must! For a fun day trip, go to Queen Wilhelmina State Park, just about 1 hour away, and enjoy their restaurant after a hike, then go for a train ride to see the park while having an ice cream cone from the shop. Don’t forget your camera!

Aside from all the outdoor activities to do, with the spectacular views of the Quachita National Forest out your window, and the sound of the river as a soundtrack to the crackling of your wood burning stove, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable stay.

The Talimena Drive is 55 miles long. It goes from Mena, Arkansas, to Talihina, Oklahoma.